thing?’
Jack shrugged. ‘We feel how we think. There’s a bigger picture here – and it depends how much of it you want to see. On every flea another flea feeds. And what suck’d you first suck’d me. John Donne, maybe. Do you know what will happen to Ianto? Can you cure him?’
Ross shook his head. ‘Only the device can do that. Maybe. You really don’t have it?’ He looked suddenly hopeful.
Ianto smiled. ‘No. And I don’t think we would give it to you if we had it.’
‘It’s a toy of the gods,’ said Jack, his face hardening. ‘Wouldn’t you say?’
Ross looked terribly sad.
Jack scraped his chair back and stood up. ‘Come on, Ianto, we have work to do. Thank you for your time. We shan’t meet again, Mr Kielty. Make the most of your life.’
He strode away.
Ianto turned and shrugged, the movement suddenly all wrong in the body. ‘I’m sorry for your loss,’ he said, and walked off into the rain.
Ross watched the figure of his wife walk down the road, turn a corner, and vanish for ever.
IANTO IS EXPLAINING HOW COFFEE IS LIKE LIFE
They didn’t talk on the way back to the Hub, though Jack was swearing at each and every traffic light. They parked, and Jack strode ahead, his coat billowing in the rain.
Ianto followed behind, limping slightly and cursing his choice of shoes – strange little heels that scooped in the rain and soaked his toes and the skirt just felt wrong, and the pants had shifted, attacking his bum like cheesewire and… Oh, never mind.
They walked down the fire escape without talking, and Jack stomped into Torchwood. He marched up to his map of the energy cloud, and groaned. Then he threw his coat down and slumped across a sofa.
Ianto hovered, felt ridiculous, and pottered through into his area, where he started to bang about. ‘The secret is not to burn the beans. Well, scald, really. Coffee scalds at 98 degrees. A lot of baristas insist on 100 degrees when they make their coffee – lots of steam and effect, but you ruin the flavour. That’s why it tastes like it’s made from old batteries – and that’s why you drown it in milk and ginger and cream and foam and chocolate sprinkles – there’s something wrong with the fundamental ingredient, and rather than admit it, you press on, you dress it up, you disguise it. You don’t talk about the problem, you wrap it up in sugar and glitter. Isn’t that right?’
He handed Jack a cup, who took it automatically. Didn’t say anything, not even thanks.
Ianto sat down on the sofa next to him, legs not quite in the right order, sipping carefully at his own cup and waiting.
He waited for a full two minutes before Jack looked him in the eye. And then Jack smiled, and cuffed him gently on the ear. ‘Oh, Ianto Jones,’ he said, and stopped.
‘What’s wrong? Are we going to talk about it?’
Jack sipped the coffee.
‘Oh, Ianto. Owen and Gwen and Suzie and Tosh and you – you all spend so much time telling me that the world isn’t simple, that not all aliens are evil, that it’s worth working out why people are here – that I shouldn’t be the ruthless dark one. And sometimes you’re right. And sometimes you’re wrong. All this is my fault. All this is because I made an agreement. An arrangement.’
He sipped the coffee again and gave Ianto a look that made him feel very frightened.
GWEN IS NOWHERE, AND IT’S FOR BLOODY EVER
Around her, the old house creaked and yawned, timber cracking like a weary boat at sea. And she just stood there, feet planted solidly on the off-cream carpet, frozen in time just between the sofa and the coffee table.
Time moved oddly around her, and she recognised the pull in the air of Rift Energy. Which started to explain things. Emma’s little device had reached out and trapped her just outside now. And she wasn’t alone. She could sense other figures, distantly, as though across a vast space. She tried shouting but couldn’t – if she squinted she could somehow perceive about a dozen female figures stood-stock still a long way away… all of them done up to the nines and dressed to kill. She realised she was glimpsing the missing women from speed-dating. They were still there in Tombola’s. She wondered how they were coping after several days outside of time.
It was a place that was, to be frank, boring and very itchy. She was burning with the desire to scratch her left leg. Left leg first, and then definitely right bum cheek, upper back and then her nose. Plus behind both ears. Urgggh.
Her feet ached. She wondered how much worse that would get. And how much more tired she would get. She ached, she felt tired. She wanted to curl up and sleep. But she couldn’t really move. And all around her was the world of Emma’s flat – eternity spread out across the lounge and towards the kitchenette.
And blocking the view of the universe were Rhys and Emma kissing. They were getting ready to go out, and there was nothing she could do to stop them. She screamed herself hoarse, yelling out Rhys’s name with rage and fear and panic and fury. But no. Nothing.
Emma kissed Rhys on the cheek. ‘And where are you taking me? Is it somewhere wonderful? It had better be.’
Rhys leant close. ‘Oh yes. Best view of the Bay, it is. Just you and me.’
‘I can’t wait.’ Emma giggled. ‘Oh, you’re wonderful.’ She kissed him again on the cheek and picked up her handbag.
Rhys held the door open for her and Emma sailed through, glancing over her shoulder to smirk at Gwen.
And then they were gone. And just Gwen, trapped and alone and motionless in this bloody terrible little flat, itch itch itch, and oh god, she’s left the radio tuned to
CAPTAIN JACK, CAPTAIN JACK, GET OFF YOUR BACK, GO INTO TOWN, DON’T LET US DOWN. OH NO, NO.
Jack was waiting impassively for the invisible lift when Ianto caught up with him.
‘I have to go. Don’t follow me, Ianto. This is all my fault.’ Jack was grim.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I made a mistake,’ said Jack. ‘I caused all this. I’ll either be back in an hour, or not at all.’ He shrugged. ‘But hey – you know me. I’m tough.’
‘Don’t be bloody rubbish.’
Jack stepped onto the platform, which started its upward glide. Rain was pouring down around him.
Straining to see him, Ianto tried to jump up on tiptoe and felt foolish.
‘You can’t just go!’ he protested, amazed at how high his voice went. ‘You can’t just run off like this!’
He could just see Jack, staring back down, giving him a look. It was a look that didn’t belong with the smile that forced its way across his face.
‘Jack!’ screamed Ianto as Jack started to vanish through the ceiling.
He just caught Jack’s voice, floating back down to him.
‘Check the energy cloud, Ianto. It’s building up – and there’s about a day before it goes off the scale.’ And then he was gone.
